How to Finish a Bare Sheetrock Ceiling

Cover the floor with dropcloths to protect it from primer and paint spills.

Place blue painter's tape along the top edge of the wall or the crown molding to keep paint and primer off it.

Sand down any rough edges along the joints of the drywall with fine-grit sandpaper, then wipe the dust off of the ceiling with a tack cloth.

Begin applying the primer to the ceiling with a paintbrush in a process known as cutting in. Apply the primer with smooth, even strokes along the perimeter of the ceiling and around any holes in the ceiling for light fixtures or vents. Use a latex primer on drywall. The primer helps bind the paint to the ceiling.

Pour primer into a paint roller tray until the lower part of the tray is full.

Attach a roller with a clean head to the end of an extension pole, and coat it with primer by rolling it in the paint tray. Use just enough primer to coat the roller; you don't want the roller to be dripping wet.

Begin applying the primer to the ceiling in one corner. Covering an area that measures about 3 feet square, apply the primer to the ceiling with the roller by making the letter "W" on the ceiling, then going back over that same spot by making the letter "M". This ensures an even application of the primer. After you have finished the first section, move on to the next 3-foot section until you have primed the whole ceiling. Allow the primer to dry.

Inspect the ceiling, and touch up any spots you missed by applying more primer and allowing it to dry.

Apply the first coat of latex-based paint to the ceiling, using the same process you used to apply the primer. Use different brushes and rollers, or thoroughly wash the ones you used. Allow the paint to dry.

Put a second coat of paint on the ceiling, and allow it to dry.